100 New Beginnings: UsakoMamoru Drabble challenge
by nessabutterfly
Summary: My drabbles for the Usako Mamoru Livejournal community challenge. All first season Usagi and Mamoru. There won't actually be 100 drabbles here because a few of the themes were written as mini-series which will be posted, combined, as one-shots.
1. Chocolate

1

1. Chocolate: 350 words

Usagi clung desperately to the window, leaving steamy prints on the glass. Her eyes were fixed on the contents of the display. It was a beautiful exhibit, set off by the lovely sale sign: 50 off. She had never seen a sweeter sign. But when she reached for her wallet, Usagi felt the weight of the shopping bag hanging from her elbow. The full bag meant an empty wallet. With a mournful sigh, she turned back towards the window, still mesmerized by the array of chocolates and candies within.

Without warning, Usagi found herself sprawled on the ground, her bottom bruised, and her hand scraped. She was in such shock that she was still inspecting her injured hand when an angry voice boomed down at her, "Watch where you are going, Odango Atama! You really need to pay attention when you're running like that."

"Running?! Usagi burst out furiously. "You were the one who was running, Baka. I was standing perfectly still and looking in this window." As she motioned towards the shop window, Usagi began to sob violently. "I was—I just—I really need some chocolate!" she blubbered between her shrieks.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Mamoru turned abruptly away from her. Seeing that he was not even going to apologize, Usagi's wails grew louder, and she allowed herself to fall back onto the sidewalk in a childlike tantrum.

Usagi continued to weep loudly until a pink blob appeared before her watery eyes. Blinking back the tears, she saw that it was a bag from the candy shop she had been staring at. Forcing her eyes to focus beyond the bag, she saw a hand, and then an arm, a familiar shade of olive green. Finally the face came into focus. "Mamoru?" she sputtered.

The full bag was dropped forcefully onto her abdomen as he answered with forced patience, "It's not like I'm being nice to you. I just thought someone needed to do something about that racket you were making." Inside though, his stomach was soaring on butterfly wings as her face spread into a joyful smile.


	2. karma

A strong kick sounded dully on the hubcap. Raking his fingers angrily through his thick black hair, Mamoru silently cursed his recent string of bad luck. In the last week he had stepped in dog poop on the way into an important meeting with his professor, locked himself out of his apartment, spilled coffee on all of his study notes, and now, he had a flat tire.

Mamoru was not usually superstitious, but he was starting to believe in karma. When he stopped and examined his life, he could see the fairness of it all. After all, as Tuxedo Kamen, he had been relentlessly tailing the Sailor Senshi for months now, stealing any Rainbow Crystals they had been able to obtain. And in his day-to-day life, he had been cold, rude, and sarcastic to many of the people he regularly encountered.

But fair or not, he was getting sick of wondering what unfortunate event would pop up in his day next. Flipping the lock on his driver's side door, he pushed it shut and started walking in the direction of the Crown Parlour. As his feet fell into a smooth rhythm on the sidewalk, he began to form a plan. The next time he had the urge to be rude or cold, he would instead go out of his way to be kind. Showering his fellow humans with kindness would surely tip the scales in his favour, or at least give a brief respite from the wrath of the gods.

Of course, Mamoru's luck being what it was, no sooner had he made this vow than he ran into the most irritating girl he knew. Literally. From the ground at his feet, he heard the high-pitched voice whine, "Watch where you're going, Baka!"

Great, he just had to run into her. Biting his tongue to hold back the usual insults, he grudgingly held out his hand to help her up. "I'm really sorry Oda—Usagi. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," he offered with forced gentleness.

Usagi gaped up at him from the ground, her pale blue eyes unnaturally wide and her mouth agape. Shaking off the shock, she questioned tentatively, "Are you all right Mamoru? You don't seem like yourself today."

"I'm fine!" he snapped tensely. Then shaking his head, he gentled his voice, repeating, "I'm fine. I'm sorry; I think my blood sugar is getting a little low. I'm going to head to the Crown for a snack. Would you like to come with me?"

Staring at him disbelievingly, Usagi pursed her lips, tilted her head, and then reached up, laying a hand on Mamoru's forehead. "No fever," she mused quietly.

"Come on Odango, is it really that rare for me to be nice to you?" he asked in annoyance.

"Actually, yes," she replied honestly. "But you've got me curious now, so I'll go with you."

Mamoru just nodded dumbly and started walking towards the café. His forehead tingled where she had touched him. He even found a small part of him wishing that she would do it again. When they entered the small ice cream parlour minutes later, Mamoru was glad to see that his friend Motoki was not in his usual place behind the counter. Motoki would make a big deal out of this. And it was nothing to make a big deal about. Usagi simply happened to be the person to whom he was the meanest. But as he looked at her innocent smile and bright eyes, he began to wonder why that was so. Her petite hands fiddled with a straw while they waited for their shakes to arrive. So tiny and whisper soft. He found himself longing to feel their touch again.

The conversation was quite one sided. Between sips of her frosty chocolate milkshake, Usagi rambled away, speaking about school and the manga she was currently reading. She talked about homework and detentions and how mean Haruna Sensei was. Mamoru stirred his shake and watched her talk, nodding occasionally, but he was actually formulating another plan.

Casually, he knocked his hand against his milkshake cup, causing it to wobble and then tip over. If he guessed correctly, sweet, innocent Usagi would be quick to help him clean up the mess, and he would probably be able to brush her hand with his own in the process. But what he hadn't counted on was the fact that they had been sitting at the counter with their shakes for nearly half an hour. His nervous stirring had caused his shake to melt completely. Instead of leaving a half-frozen puddle on the counter, the runny shake had instantly poured over the edge and onto his lap. With a sharp gasp, he jumped from the stool, the sugary mess pooling around his feet. At least it was vanilla.

"Oh Mamoru," Usagi cried, jumping to her feet. "Let me help you." Grabbing a handful of napkins, she began to wipe the gooey mess from his legs. As she lifted his pant leg to wipe his shoe, her creamy fingers brushed the skin of his ankle and he smiled. Maybe he didn't have such bad karma after all.


	3. Short Skirt

His eyes were buried in the new psychology text he had just picked up from the library. Hearing pounding footsteps quickly approaching from behind, he stepped blithely to the right as he turned the page. This new research was too fascinating to take his eyes from for even a moment. In fact, had the rushing blond not crashed into his arm on the way past, he would never have looked up at all.

When he did raise his eyes from the book, he was surprised to see Usagi jogging away from him, a good deal more leg showing out the bottom of her bubblegum pink skirt than usual. Shocked by the lack of fabric, he gasped and called out to her, "Odango Atama, what is that you're wearing?"

"Wow, Baka, and I thought you were supposed to be smart", she spat out sarcastically. "What do you think it is?" Pulling on the edge of the hem, which only revealed even more of her milky thighs, she continued proudly, " I made it in home economics class. I got a B!"

Seeing her obvious excitement, Mamoru decided that he could not burst it by telling her exactly how short the back of the skirt was. Instead, he nodded politely, congratulated her on her high mark, and slowed his pace slightly so that he was walking several feet behind her. She would realize her mistake soon enough, but for now, he would just enjoy the sight.


	4. Things Left Unsaid

Things left unsaid:

He wrote the heading carefully, and underlined it twice. "Okay, making a list is the first step in telling someone how you feel, isn't it?" he mused. Tapping his pen repeatedly on the blank notebook page, he further reasoned, "Maybe I can't tell her how I feel because I haven't figured it out myself yet. But here goes—everything I ever wanted to say, but couldn't."

1. I want to touch your hair. It looks so soft.  
2. I like your odango.  
3. I like it when you are a klutz; it makes me feel needed.  
4. I don't actually mind when you whine; I'm glad you feel that you can open up to me.  
5. I think I love you.  
6. May I kiss you?

Mamoru set his pen down and stared at the page. It certainly did not look very scholarly, but it said what he could not.

Quickly, before he lost his courage, he ripped the page from the notebook and stood up, striding swiftly across the café and entering the Crown's small arcade. There she was, pounding away on the buttons of her favourite game, "Sailor V Saves the Day". As he walked up behind her, he closed his eyes briefly and took a deep, steadying breath before clearing his throat and speaking her name, "Usagi?"

Startled, she turned to see who was there, but upon seeing Mamoru's face, she quickly turned back to her game. "What is it Baka? Can't you see I'm busy?" she barked.

"It's," he began, looking down at the paper in his hands. "It's nothing." He finished, crumpling the paper into a tight ball. Hearing the disappointment in his voice, Usagi turned slightly to see him toss the paper at a nearby garbage can and roughly push through the swinging doors that led to the café.

Usagi's curiosity got the better of her when she saw that the wadded up paper had bounced out of the garbage and landed on the floor. Abandoning her game, she hopped off the stool and retrieved the paper. Smoothing it out carefully, she read, "Things left unsaid: 1. I want to touch your hair…" When she had read the list over several times, she crept to the café's entrance, searching out the man she considered her worst enemy. She finally spotted him, facing away from her, and staring out the large window across from his table.

Pushing the doors open, she strode quickly to his table. Taking hold of the hand that was raking through his thick black waves, she placed one of her pigtails into it. When he looked up at her in surprise, she bent down and kissed his pursed lips, long and hard. Finally out of breath, she took a seat across the table and laid his crumpled list on the surface between them. "We should talk."

Well readers, it's been a while, but I have a lot to post. Since I last updated, I spent the next year or 2 writing drabbles for a challenge community. LOTS of drabbles. 80 or so. And for fans of Kingdom Come, good news on that front too. While I haven't written anything since I posted the last chapter, I do have a storyline for the other two books and plan on picking up the story. I hope to have a chapter up within the next 2-3 months.

I decided to start posting up my drabbles because reviews are always motivating. So let me know what you think and you'll get more from me soon!


	5. Kiss

At the touch of her soft, warm lips, the pain suddenly vanished. Where it had seared just moments before, now he felt the lingering coolness of her whisper soft lips. A healing kiss. He had heard of it before, but had not believed that a kiss could really have this effect. And yet, here he sat, his once throbbing hand feeling warm and tingly, but completely free from pain.

Her lips were like magic. Sweet magic. With a deep longing, he wondered if they could they do the same for his soul. Holding his hand to his heart, he closed his eyes and dreamed of the peace she could bring with her velvety lips and sweet, soothing kisses.

He was brought out of his daydream with a sharp slap to the back of his head. "Get over it, baka! It's a paper cut, you're not going to lose your hand or anything."


	6. button

Tap, tap, tap, tap. A pair of tiny Mary Janes were clicking rhythmically on the pavement as the petite blond grew increasingly impatient. Jabbing her slender finger at the button again, she sighed and the tapping resumed.

"Odango Atama, whatever are you doing?" came a patronizing voice from behind her.

Flipping her long golden pigtails over her shoulder, she turned to face her mocker. "If you can't see, I'm waiting to cross the street." She spun quickly on her heel, whipping Mamoru across the chest with her hair.

Taking aim at the button again, Usagi launched an all out attack on the thing. Mamoru stepped backwards calmly and waited. After another minute and another change of the light, Usagi stomped her feet and flung her body around to face him. "What is wrong with this stupid light? It won't change!"

With just a hint of a smile, Mamoru silently reached around her and pushed the small button on the opposite side of the post. Moments later, the walk signal lit up and he took a bewildered Usagi by the hand like a small child, and led her across the street.


	7. Closet

Ikuko's footsteps sounded quietly on the thick carpet covering the stairs. "Usagi?" she called again, certain now that her daughter was out with her friends. Ikuko paused with her hand poised above Usagi's doorknob. It had been years since she had gone into Usagi's room without permission, but she quickly waved feelings of guilt aside. She wasn't going in to snoop, only to collect the laundry. It had been over two weeks since Usagi had brought down her laundry and she was bound to be running out of clean clothes. Her decision made, she turned the handle and pushed the door open.

The room was in its usual state of disarray. As she moved towards the closet, Ikuko scooped the discarded garments into the basket she held on her hip. And though she had promised herself that this trip was only to collect laundry, she found herself setting her basket down to straighten the manga on the bookshelf and to smooth the covers on Usagi's bed. Images of tucking in her little toddler sprang to mind.

Wiping away a stray tear, Ikuko turned from the bed and lifted the basket back to her hip (It was hard to think of Usagi as being fourteen). Back to her original mission, Ikuko crossed the room to Usagi's walk-in closet, pulled the door open and entered. She quickly transferred the rest of Usagi's laundry from the pink hamper to her own basket.

But when Ikuko turned to exit the closet, she dropped the basket in surprise, spilling the laundry onto the floor. Stepping over her mess, she moved to inspect the inside of Usagi's door. Every inch was covered with pictures, hearts, and notes. And every picture showed the face of the same boy—no, man. He was very handsome, though he wore a serious expression in most of the pictures. It was also obvious that he was not aware that his picture was being taken. In some shots he was sitting in a small café, in others, he was reading on a park bench. Usagi had obviously been following this young man around with a camera for some time. By the many hearts she had drawn around his face with a magic marker and pasted between pictures, it was obvious that her daughter's feelings for him were strong and not a passing thing.

Ikuko knew that she should pick up her basket and go. The very fact that the collection was hidden inside Usagi's closet made it obvious that she did not wish it to be seen, but Ikuko simply could not control herself. Giving in, she knelt to read the sloppy notes her daughter had taped to the door between the pictures. What she discovered there was even more shocking than the collection itself. There was a page of scribbled names: Mrs. Chiba; Chiba Usagi; Chiba-Tsukino Usagi; Mrs. Chiba Mamoru; Mr. and Mrs. Chiba Mamoru and Usagi. That name—Chiba Mamoru—she had heard it before, but she could not place it.

Shaking her head slowly, Ikuko turned to gather the fallen laundry. She had just backed out of Usagi's room, shutting the door softly behind her when she heard the front door open and close.

"Mom, I'm home," Usagi called.  
Ikuko descended the steps, carefully composing herself on the way, and asked her daughter how her day had been.

"It was great, except that baka Mamoru was teasing me again," Usagi stated with a pout. "He pulled my ponytail and called me lump head!"

So this was the man her daughter had fallen for. At least his teasing was proof that he wasn't too much more mature than her young daughter. "You know, Usagi, sometimes boys tease a girl because they like them and don't know what to say."

"Really?" Usagi's eyes sparkled and her smile brightened as she looked up at her mother. "I mean…" she caught herself and quickly corrected, "Gross—I would never want Mamoru to like me!" Usagi made a face before running up the steps, but Ikuko saw the smile return to Usagi's face as she turned around. He daughter was in love.


	8. Behind the Blue Curtain

Whenever I try to remember, I see it. That soft blue curtain shrouds a lifetime of memories, moving rhythmically as though caressed by a gentle breeze or a loving hand. It hides shadows and movement. If I watch long enough, a corner may billow out and reveal a glimpse of my past.

There is a girl.

Sometimes she steps close enough that I see her silhouette framed behind the sheer expanse of blue. Mysterious lights shimmer on her face and she calls out to me, "Remember me my prince." She calls from behind the blue curtain of my hidden memories.


	9. Ice Cream

I was delirious from the pain—that's the only explanation. I mean, I never would have done that under normal circumstances. If Odango had just used her brain in the first place, none of this would have happened.

My knee is still throbbing, and my head is no better. All right Chiba, just sit down and think through this logically.

I was out for a jog; there's certainly nothing wrong with that! And out of nowhere, Odango popped out in front of me on the sidewalk. She was wearing that—wait, that's beside the point—focus! She popped out of nowhere and nearly fell, but I caught her and fell into a stone wall, my whole weight landing on my knee. When she saw how red my knee was getting, she told me we were in front of her house and that if I came in, she could get me some ice for my knee. She didn't even call me baka!

She showed me into the living room, and returned a few minutes later with a neatly wrapped ice pack. Placing it carefully on my injured limb, she sat on a chair across from me, her blond hair framed by a halo of morning light streaming through the window behind her. It must have been a hallucination from the pain, because she looked just like an angel.

She apologized quietly and sat watching me with troubled eyes. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" she questioned a few times, never quite satisfied that I would recover.

And then it happened. It was all so fast, and the details are still fuzzy to me. The ice pack started to melt, but instead of water, a thick, sticky, white substance dripped down my leg. Startled, I looked up and asked, "Usagi, what did you put in this ice pack? It looks like—"

"Ice cream!" she finished for me, looking proud. "We were out of ice so I did some fast thinking. You needed something cold for the swelling."

Not able to dismiss her logic, I started to respond, "Well that's true," but stopped when another small river of the melted dessert escaped from the tea towel that held the gooey mess and ran up my thigh towards my shorts. I jumped up in surprise and the cloth-wrapped package flew through the air, hitting the window behind Usagi's head and spraying her face and hair with chunks of still-frozen ice cream and droplets of the melted mess. Her mouth popped open in surprise and she remained standing like that, mouth agape, for what seemed like an eternity.

I really don't know what happened next. Somehow I crossed the room and took Usagi in my arms, but all I remember is holding her slim, sticky body close to mine and kissing her vanilla lips. The sweet scent of her skin mixing with the sticky ice cream must have overtaken my sensibilities because I stood there, licking and kissing every droplet of the sweet confection from her skin before releasing her.

The rest is a blur. All I know is that I am outside. I must have run away. I guess my brain finally kicked in and got me out of there. What a fool. Then again, there was certainly nothing unpleasant about kissing her.


	10. Death

I remember dying. Don't look at me like I'm an idiot; I know it's impossible. But still, I have this vision of myself dying a long time ago. It's probably just a silly dream.

I was wearing a white dress. Everything around me was being consumed by flames, but it looked like a palace of some sort. And there was a man—a gorgeous man dressed in dark armor. He reached out to me with such longing and passion in his arms, but before our hands could touch, he was wounded. I couldn't see the source, but something shot into him and his bright blue eyes flashed open with pain and surprise.

I tried to run to him, but the same weapon crashed into my abdomen, knocking me to the ground. I watched helplessly as the armored man gasped his last breath. He called out, "Serenity," and died. I felt the pain of my wound, but it was only a dull ache next to the loss of the man. "Endymion," I cried, knowing suddenly that we must have been lovers. Feeling the last bit of life drain from my body, one final burst of strength allowed me to grasp the fallen man's hand.

As my eyes began to close, a dark object passed before me. A cat. A golden shimmer on her forehead seemed strangely moon-shaped.

My eyes snap open and I gasp. Moon-shaped? This dream must have something to do with that poor cat I rescued this morning. It was pretty weird that it had a shiny crescent moon shape on its forehead, but was it weird enough to cause this strange dream?

Oh well, I'll put it out of my mind. Lunch is almost over and Haruna-Sensei will have my head if I'm late for class again.


	11. Liar

"Liar! You're a liar!" Sailor Moon screamed into the cold, cracked floor. She rocked back and forth on her knees, staring at the dark crimson stain on the before her.

The Sailor Senshi exchanged worried looks over their friend's head before Jupiter and Venus stepped forward and gently lifted her from where she knelt. For a moment, Sailor Moon softened, allowing herself to be lifted from the spot. Then, suddenly, she tore herself from their arms, hurling herself once more to the floor. Even as her body flinched from the impact, she began to pummel the floor with her fists as though she could revive the one who no longer lay there.

"You promised me you would always take care of me, Tuxedo Kamen. You would always protect me: you promised! Tuxedo Kamen, you promised… Mamo-chan…"

Finally, Sailor Moon's body went limp and she collapsed onto the floor. The Senshi carefully lifted her onto Jupiter's back, carrying their friend to safety in disheartened silence.


	12. Scars

Usagi wasn't sure how long she had been stretched out on the cool green grass when she heard her name called out, or rather her nickname. "Hey Odango Atama," she heard from a distance.

Popping open her pale blue eyes, she looked in the direction of the voice and found Mamoru jogging towards her in his typical running attire: a T-shirt with rolled sleeves and those running shorts. Always, he wore those short, tight running shorts that clung to his lower body in all the right places. Sometimes Usagi would pick a fight with him just to catch a glimpse of that gorgeous backside.

Usagi shook her head gently; that could wait for later. She pulled herself up into a sitting position as Mamoru lowered his body to the grass. "I hope you've got a good reason for waking me up from my nap," Usagi half teased.

"No good reason," Mamoru shook his head apologetically. "I needed a break and spotted you at just the right moment. How long have you been napping here anyways?"

Glancing up to see the lengthening shadows, Usagi shrugged. "I dunno. What time is it?" She reached for Mamoru's wrist, flipping it to read his watch. As she was about to release him, she noticed a long white scar running the length of Mamoru's forearm.

"Mamoru!" she exclaimed in shock. "What happened? Are you okay? How did this happen?"

A little surprised by her reaction, Mamoru reminded," scars mean that the injury is healed, Usagi. This happened a long time ago." When Usagi visibly relaxed, Mamoru decided that his theory had been correct; Usagi thought he had been recently injured.

"Of course," she nodded, regaining her composure. "But that's still a bad scar. How did you get it?"

Mamoru stared at the jagged white line for a minute before settling back on his elbows and staring up at the sky. Finally, he began, "Once, a very long time ago, I was out for a drive with my parents. I don't know where we were going. I don't even remember being in the car. All I know is that I woke up one day in the hospital. I was heavily bandaged and spent the first few days on strong pain medications. I couldn't remember anything through the haze of the medication. Finally, they told me that my parents had died in the same car crash that had injured me."

Usagi looked at Mamoru with tears in her eyes. "You lost your parents that young, Mamoru? That's horrible." She looked down at her feet, plucking at the grass that poked up between her toes. When she spoke again, it was with a quiet and reflective voice, "What were they like, Mamoru? Your parents—do you miss them?"

Mamoru shook his head slowly, running his index finger along the length of the long while scar. "That's the worst scar of them all, Odango," he said quietly. "I never remembered who I was, or anything about my parents. I have no memories from before I woke up in the hospital. I've read about my parents, and even went to my house once to collect some of my belongings, but none of it brought back any memories."

Usagi was shocked at the quiet acceptance with which Mamoru spoke. Learning of his lost childhood brought an ache to her heart that she couldn't describe. Not knowing what else to do, she moved behind Mamoru and pulled his upper body into her tiny lap. Holding him tightly, she wept for him. She smoothed his hair gently and traced small circles on his chest with her finger.

As Usagi's warm tears soaked through his T-shirt, something inside Mamoru broke. His own body began to shake and his shoulders heaved. After a deep breathe, Mamoru let out a sob, quiet but heart-wrenching. Tears ran down his cheeks; the first he could remember. As Mamoru continued to cry, Usagi's tears slowed and she pulled him closer to herself. She kissed his forehead and rocked him gently while he regained his composure.

Soon Mamoru was quiet and became aware of the small but strong arms that surrounded him. Usagi was holding onto him with all the tenderness and care of a mother holding a young child. Mamoru had never expected to find healing for the open wound in his heart, but suddenly, safe in Usagi's arms, he felt a growing hope that this scar too, would someday heal.


	13. Mischief

"Oh, give it up, baka! I bet you've never gotten into trouble in your whole life. You're not any more capable of getting into mischief than I am of getting an A on Friday's English test." Usagi leaned back confidently against the vinyl booth, gesturing toward the jumbled English notes spread across the table.

"Want to bet on it?" Mamoru asked casually.

Immediately, Usagi set her jaw and leaned forward with a firm nod. "Okay," she began enthusiastically. "It's a bet! You have to pull off a prank- a really good one- by the end of the week, or else you're buying me milkshakes for the rest of the month."

"And if I do pull it off, you're my slave for the rest of the month: every evening from 4-8 pm."

"Unless I ace my English test."

"Deal."

"Deal."

"Well," sighed Mamoru, standing up from the bench after they had shaken hands. "I guess I had better let you get back to your studying. You're going to need it!"

…

Friday afternoon, Usagi Marched into the Crown Parlour waving an English test with a bright green A written across the top. She slammed it down on the counter in front of Mamoru with a triumphant smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, which were lined with deep circles from several sleepless nights spent studying.

"I did it!" she announced pridefully. "Now you owe me a milkshake. With 30 more to follow."

"I guess I don't get a slave, but why should you get a milkshake?"

"It's Friday. You haven't pulled off a prank yet. I told you that you were too much of a goodie two shoes to get into any sort of mischief!" Usagi waved Motoki over and ordered a strawberry milkshake. "And he's paying!" she pointed happily to Mamoru.

"Okay, fine, you win. Motoki, make the lady a special milkshake." Mamoru settled himself back on his stool and turned his attention back toward his book.

A few minutes later, Motoki set the frosty pink glass in front of Usagi and hurried away. Mamoru looked on with interest while Usagi took a long pull on the straw, then suddenly spit the drink all over the counter.

"What was that?" she demanded, continuing to spit in a napkin.

"That, Odango Atama, was a prank. I assume you won't be wanting 30 more."

Author's Notes:

Ack, sorry I didn't post on Friday. It was my daughter's birthday and we had a HUGE party for her. And then I got sick. Still coughing up a lung! I should be back on my usual schedule for this Friday though, so enjoy!


	14. Valentines

Mamoru looked up from his coffee as a small package was thumped down unceramoniously in front of him.

"Happy Valentine's day," said Usagi blandly as she dropped onto the stool beside him.

"What's this for?" Mamoru asked in surprise.

Usagi looked up and studied him for a moment before responding. "Don't tell me you've never heard of the custom of girls giving chocolate to boys on Valentine's day?"

He chuckled softly. "Oh, I've heard of it. I just didn't expect to get any chocolates from you."

"Well," Usagi began. "I thought someone should give you some, but surely you're too unpopular to get any from the other girls you know!"

He wanted to tell her that she was wrong, but he couldn't. Usagi really was the only girl who had brought him chocolates today. While he wasn't exactly unpopular, he was aware that he gave off an air of solitude and unapproachability.

"Thank you, Usagi," he said softly, taking the small bag into his hands. "It was nice of you to think of me today." He carefully placed the chocolates into his bag to enjoy that evening.

Usagi looked at him carefully for a few seconds before shrugging and calling out to a waitress for a milk shake.

Mamoru tried to act casually about the whole thing, but his thoughts were already racing forward one month, trying to decide what he should get for Usagi for White day.


	15. Dragonfly

"You look really cute today, Odango Atama," remarked Mamoru as he dropped onto the park bench beside Usagi, wiping sweat from his forehead with a swipe of his purple-banded wrist.

"Quit teasing me, baka, and get lost. You're dripping sweat on me." Usagi inched away from the spot the glistening body occupied on the bench.

"I'm not joking, Odango," Mamoru tried again. "You really look cute today; it's your hair."

"All right, suppose I believe you," Usagi began harshly, pointing a finger at Mamoru's moist nose. "Why are you in such a good mood?"

Mamoru laughed, deep and rich, shaking his head slowly. His face spread into a wide smile as he answered. "Why not be happy, Odango? It's a beautiful, sunny spring day: warm but not hot. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and you, my dear, have a beautiful new clip in your lovely hair."

Usagi shook her head in disgust at Mamoru's answer. "Now I know you're joking, baka! And I don't appreciate it! First off, when have you ever called me "dear"? And secondly, I am not wearing a hair clip. I haven worn hair clips in ages. I wear Odango. O-dan-go!"

Mamoru could only laugh at Usagi's tirade. Her intense reactions definitely made teasing her worth his while, but this time he was completely serious. With a sigh, he set in again to try to convince her. "Look Usagi, I'm not joking. Don't you have a mirror in your purse or something? I swear to you, there's a big jeweled green dragonfly clipped just in front of your Odango."

When he pointed at the spot, Usagi defiantly reached her hand up to pat the top of her head, ending Mamoru's joke once and for all. But Usagi shrieked when her hand met something large and very un-odango shaped. There really was a dragonfly on her head: a live one! As she pulled her hand back reflexively, a large emerald green dragonfly flew away, and Usagi flew into Mamoru's arms.

A moment later, when Usagi had calmed a little, she pushed harshly away from Mamoru. "I," she began awkwardly and began to back away from him. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you," she called over her shoulder as she broke into a full run.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

"Usagi, is that you?" Tsukino Ikuko's voice rang out from the depths of the house as Usagi returned home hours later.

"Yeah Mom, it's me," she returned as she unlaced her shoes.

"Sweety, there's a package on the entry table for you. A nice young man brought it by about an hour ago."

"A package?" Usagi mused, eying the tiny bundle from her place on the step. With a stretch, she was able to reach the paper-wrapped parcel, turning it over in her hands repeatedly. The simple brown paper gave no indication of its contents and Usagi was quick to rip into the mysterious bundle. As the paper tore, a small metal object fell heavily into her lap and was followed by a fluttering slip of white paper.

Usagi reached for the note first, reading the brief message: "I still think it looked beautiful on you—Dear." Usagi's cheeks burned as she reached into her lap to discover an exquisitely jeweled silver dragonfly hair clip.


	16. Caramel Apple

Usagi slid out of the emergency exit of the haunted house with a sigh. Why had she let Rei talk her into coming anyways? She flopped down on a bench and berated herself for being scared by a silly haunted house. She battled youma every day, but a few plastic skeletons had her shaking; it didn't make sense.

Glancing around her, Usagi looked for something else to occupy her time. Rei and Makoto would probably be in the haunted house for at least another half hour. Spotting a vendor's cart, Usagi started across the park. Food was always a good way to pass the time. When Usagi had reached the vendor, she saw that he had a variety of Halloween treats, including caramel apples. She hadn't had one since she was a child, so she quickly ordered one of the gooey goodies and handed over her money.

Settling quickly on a nearby bench, Usagi wasted no time in getting to work on the treat. But just as she had sunk her teeth into the sweet, crunchy apple, she heard a voice that caused her to rip it quickly from her mouth, leaving nothing but a mouthful of gooey caramel.

"What are you doing Odango Atama?"

Usagi tried to open her mouth to retort, but found that the caramel had stuck her teeth firmly together. Full of fury, she tried to call him "Baka" but the only sound she could produce was a strangled "Aga".

With a hearty laugh, Mamoru looked at the caramel apple waving in the poor, silenced girl's hand and proclaimed, "I've got to stock up on those things!"

He shook his head and walked away, still laughing, leaving a pink-cheeked Usagi behind to get herself out of her sticky situation.


	17. Telephone

Two golden odango bobbed up and down repeatedly on the other side of the shelf. Mamoru knew only one person who wore the ridiculously childish hairstyle. Moreover, no one could whine and moan like this, other than the person in question. Finally Mamoru could stand it no longer. He marched across the small electronics store, leaned over the shelf and hissed, "Would you just make up your mind, Odango Atama?"

Startled, Usagi tried to back up, tripped over the shopping bags at her feet, and landed hard on her bottom. "Ouch!" she yelped, struggling to untangle her feet from the bags. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Well then, quit being so whiny," he instructed, coming around the shelf to pull the struggling girl to her feet. "And quit being such a klutz." When Usagi opened her mouth to protest, he pointed to the boxes she still clung to. "What are you trying to decide on anyway?"

Usagi held the boxes toward him so he could see the labels: two rabbit shaped telephones, one a fuzzy pink, and the other, a smooth white plastic.

Mamoru glanced between the two for a moment before pointing to the white phone and proclaiming, "That's easy. You would wreck the fuzzy one way too quickly. At least the white one has a chance." As Usagi was setting the pink one back on the shelf, Mamoru poked her shoulder and questioned, "But why do you need a phone anyways? Surely someone who talks as much as you do already has one."

Usagi turned quickly and mumbled over her shoulder, "It's none of your business." She scooped up her bags and raced towards the checkout, her crimson cheeks reminding her of why she needed a new phone.

Just the night before, she had finally dialed the number she had copied from Motoki's planner weeks before. But when the deep masculine voice answered, Usagi had lost all courage and slammed the receiver hard into the cradle with enough force to break the head end of the receiver loose from the body. She could still picture it rolling across the floor, stopping to smile up at her, taunting her, daring her to try again.


	18. Business Card

# 30 Business Card  
382 words

"What's that?" asked the petite blond, bending to pick up the small card that had fluttered from her friend's planner.

Spying the card in Usagi's hand, the blue-haired girl quickly made a grab for it saying, "Oh, it's nothing."

Realizing that her friend didn't want her to see the card, Usagi jumped backwards playfully and flipped the card in her hand. The name Chiba Mamoru jumped out at her as though it were written in neon letters. "Ami!" she exclaimed, studying the card more closely. The words private tutor were almost more of a shock than the name. "Why do you have this, Ami?"

With a deep sigh, her friend took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm taking an upper level class and it was a little harder than I was anticipating. When I got an A- on my first test, I realized that I was in over my head, so I hired a tutor."

Usagi stared at her friend with her mouth open, clearly awed that her friend had finally met an academic challenge. Shaking her head, Usagi's thoughts flew back to the card. "But Mamoru?" she questioned.

"Why not Mamoru? He's brilliant, he's our friend, and he needs to make rent money somehow."

Usagi just nodded and turned away, Mamoru's business card still in her hand. A strange feeling began to brew inside her at the thought of Mamoru tutoring Ami. Was it jealousy? Deciding quickly that it could not be jealousy, Usagi searched for another answer. Pity? Yes, that must be it. Poor Mamoru was all alone and had to work hard just to be able to afford to live.

Usagi began to scheme. She plotted how she would place Mamoru's card somewhere her mother could find it. Then she would bring home one of her tests. He mom was always asking to see them, but they conveniently disappeared before she came through the door. Surely her mother would jump at the chance to hire a tutor and Usagi would be able to spend more time with Mamoru, or rather, she corrected quickly, she could help Mamoru make enough money for his rent.

Holding in a smile, Usagi turned back to her friend and asked, "Ami, would you mind if I held onto this?"


	19. Ball of Yarn

Mamoru couldn't help but laugh out loud when he entered the Crown Parlour to find Usagi tangled in yarn, holding a pair of knitting needles like chopsticks, and with a ball of pink yarn in her teeth.

"I'm scared to ask, Odango Atama, but what are you doing?"

Usagi opened her mouth, letting the yarn drop into her hand, "What does it look like, baka? I'm knitting!"

"It looks like you're having yarn for lunch," he shot back, pointing to the soggy ball.

"I know," Usagi sighed heavily. "But every time I tug, it rolls away. I was getting sick of chasing it."

Mamoru only shook his head and walked away. After a moment, Usagi set her shoulders, gripped her needles, and popped the yarn back into her mouth.

Mamoru reappeared a moment later and gently tugged the yarn from her teeth as though she were a golden retriever with a tennis ball instead of a golden-haired teen. After wiping at the damp yarn with a napkin, he popped it into the empty take-out cup he had returned with and threaded the yarn through the straw hole. Snapping on the lid, he set the device on the table and gave the protruding yarn a tug. The cup wobbled, but did not fall down. Setting the end of the yarn in Usagi's open hand, he sat down beside her, nudging her further into the booth.

"That better?" he asked quietly.

The golden head bobbed shyly as Usagi fumbled to cast on her stitches. Finally, she looked up from her knitting to properly thank Mamoru for his help. "But how did you know to do that?" she asked curiously.

"Now now, Odango, you hardly expect me to reveal my great secrets, do you?" he laughed, tapping her gently on the tip of the nose before sliding out of the booth and heading to his usual stool at the bar.


End file.
